what type of games tend to sell more easily?

[dogzer]

In your experience what type of games sell more easely?

I asked on another thread what type of ppl tend to buy indie games, so far i've got most ppl do, as it's no use of finding a specific type of buyer.

But as an artist, when i design something (unless it´s for me) i need to be able to explain why i do what i do, if i can't explain why i'm doing something, i probably shouldn't do it.
So before i choose the type of game to sell, i'd like to know what has been your experience in that area.

[Anthony Flack]

Go to Realarcade, and check out their top 10. Those games sell more easily.

[Savant]

Agreed.

Go to RealArcade, BigFish, ArcadeTown, Reflexive, etc. and look at their top 10 lists.

Those types of games.

[NothingLikeit]

games that sell are great but you also want to ask yourself if those are the types of games that you want to make.

If you're not motivated to create the game besides a big check then it may do you more harm than good to make that type of game. I would say that right now card, puzzle, and old school arcade game seem to be the hot thing in indie gaming. But that's not to say that your creation won't sell well if it's not that... I mean look at stuff like Dark Horizons Lore or Gish they're not typical of what's been out for the past year or so yet they were tops at IGF and are doing pretty well ( I assume)

[Nexic]

Top at IGF != Riches

Top at RealArcade = Riches^2

[princec]

Easy ones.

Cas :)

[patrox]

Cas is almost right :) , in fact, games don't sell, ->activities do. ( a match 3 without challenge and no game over, can't be considered a game imho )...


pat.

[soniCron]

...in fact, games don't sell, ->activities do. ( a match 3 without challenge and no game over, can't be considered a game imho )... Ironically, a game is "an activity providing entertainment or amusement." So, for you, a match 3 isn't a game. But for someone who enjoys them, it is! :)

Source: http://www.answers.com/game

[patrox]

Thanks, i don't have enough english vocabulary ( non english native ), but well you got the idea...

pat.

[NothingLikeit]

I didn't say it always equaled riches. Personally I tried Wik I just didn't like it. All I'm saying is that you don't have to make a match 3 colors game to be sucessful

[ManuelMarino]

Well, but the most played "simple videogames" are mainly card games and board games. This is a poll made recently on some local ludotheques.

[Ska Software]

Mass-consumable pablum without soul.

Essentially if you were to take all indie games and associate each one with a store it most closely resembled, all the Wal-Marts would win.

[Ricardo C]

Oh, cry me a river...

Yes, there are plenty of clones to be had... But which ones sell the most? The good ones. Zuma, Luxor, Atlantis, Beetle Bomb... All top-notch games. They sell because they're excelent implementations of a genre the public enjoys.

Between the "cloning c*nts" (actual expression picked up on another forum) and the whiny wannabe artistes, I'd rather hang out with cloners.

[Hidden Sanctum]

To me this comes down to what you consider as success. I think too many people are looking at this from a get rich quick perspective. I'm taking a stab at being an indie game developer because of the freedom - not only in my personal life, but also for my creative side. Hopefully I'll make enough to get by on, I managed to save enough to cover me for a year.

Several of you are doing this for the same reasons and were burned out from corporate life. If you are only focusing on the hottest sellers and cloning them then you are still in a sense working for someone else - not independent.

I would venture to guess that the few truly indie developers here with completely unique games are doing quite well. Pontiflex, Space Station Manager, etc. Don't see them on any portals (I could be wrong), but I imagine they are doing pretty well selling less copies than the 'portal top 10', but pocketing more per unit. So while many of you are going for the big score and failing, perhaps some originality could have got you a nitch following that could sustain you. This probably sounds like I'm being negative and I don't mean it to be, but I think the realists and optimistic ones will understand where I am coming from.

Again, it all depends on your interpretation of success.

[Ricardo C]

the few truly indie developers

Oy vey.

Again, it all depends on your interpretation of success.

And your argument is entirely dependent on your interpretation of independence.

[djdolber]

I agree totally with hidden sanctum. Im pretty new to the indie-game-scene and i went to reflexive to check out what kind of games is up there, i was sickened by the sheer number of half-assed clones, but i was also very impressed with some of the best/coolest looking games, specifically some breakouts and shoot-em-ups. I hear lots of people talk about supporting the indie-scene because of the so called "love" of gaming and not selling out to the big companies. But in most of the clone-cases i didnt se any trace of love, just a sick frenzy for cash, especially when reading the descriptions of the ugliest looking games, saying "this game is one of the most beautiful games" etc, etc.. I realize though this is quite a common debate in the community, so ill just shut up for now...

[Pluvious]

I agree totally with hidden sanctum. Im pretty new to the indie-game-scene and i went to reflexive to check out what kind of games is up there, i was sickened by the sheer number of half-assed clones, but i was also very impressed with some of the best/coolest looking games, specifically some breakouts and shoot-em-ups. I hear lots of people talk about supporting the indie-scene because of the so called "love" of gaming and not selling out to the big companies. But in most of the clone-cases i didnt se any trace of love, just a sick frenzy for cash, especially when reading the descriptions of the ugliest looking games, saying "this game is one of the most beautiful games" etc, etc.. I realize though this is quite a common debate in the community, so ill just shut up for now...

It has surprised me that looking into making an independent game that most indie developers tend to focus on making clones. I kind of assumed/hoped independent game developers were those just trying to get the kind of games they enjoy made.

But I do understand that it is a business. And for Indies to be successful it usually means producing a game quickly that it is reasonable to assume the public will accept and appreciate.

[joe]

Of course, the most common way in the indie scene is to try to produce a clone with high productions values and sell it through portals. This works because the audience of the portals enjoys these type of games.

But you can also try to reach your audience another way. For example if you created a niche-game you could sell a lot of copies if you reach the audience who likes to play the game. It's all about how to reach the audience of people who enjoy your game.

(Of course you need a top quality game. If you have a bad niche-game nobody wants it).

But I agree, that this is not the common way.

[Anlino]

Clones sell. People want to play them. The problem with creating a fully new title looking like nothing else, is that you can't paly games that are like it, to get ideas and snspiration. A really good imaginative and original game sell most.

[yanuart]

maybe it'll be more appropriate if the question is : what genre sells more easily ?
If you think about money then it really depends on the market you're after.
Go see igda white paper on downloadble game (igda.org and just browse there), it'll explain alot more then these lengthy post.

After a few days after I released my game, I notice that international (a.k.a non US) market is more penetrable to new ideas than US market which i'm sure have been conquered by giants such as Real Arcade, Bigfish (btw, in german they have the same thing named blue-fish.. what's with the fish man??) who have mastered the arts of market flooding.
but that's a premature hypothesis and i'm still trying to figure out the logic behind the empiric facts.

anyway, a wordly advice : go with the niche where there's little competition. Why ? So that you don't have to sweating bullet looking at the competition. It's quite important not to lose your faith in your game. Imagine that every month while developing there's a new game released just the same as yours... panic attack!! "oh no.. there's one better !.. oh no .. there's another.. we should add this.. and this.. must push the dateline!"
There's a big BUT though.. but people say those games still sell well no matter how crowded the market is and for aiming a niche market.. well, i still haven't reach any financial success ..yet :p

[KNau]

I am not a big fan of "clones" but if you are just starting out with no experience at finishing games it's probably the most sensible way to go. It pains me to say it but having those references of simple yet successful games is great for helping propel you to completion. It's also good business for getting you started, while a clone likely limits your upside (the odds of getting stinking rich are small) they also limit your downside - you'll probably make a profit.

Once you are established I think it's your job to expand you art a little, though.

Food for thought...

Eventually someone is going to write the big million-seller hit indie game and I highly doubt that it will be a puzzle game that engages the gaming public like that. More likely it will be a Sims, Railroad Tycoon or Grand Theft Auto :)

[joe]

I am not a big fan of "clones" but if you are just starting out with no experience at finishing games it's probably the most sensible way to go.

Yes, you're right, but why does everyone clones Bewjeweled over and over again without adding some new unique elements (I don't hate clones, I think there are some very good clones around). There are so many games on C64, Amiga, Mega Drive, NES, NeoGeo which aren't available for PC in modern look. Why not clone one of these games?

I think Zuma was the first game that cloned the old Puzzloop (or was the name Puzznic, can't remember) and it was a huge success and today we have a lot of so called Zuma-Clones altough the gameplay was from a much older game - they just were the first who have made a successful PC Clone of it.

[dxgame]

"Go to Realarcade, and check out their top 10. Those games sell more easily."

Well, that's what is selling at their website. Does that mean those same games will sell elsewhere? That's hard to say. Alot of users here have affiliate accounts with other developers. (I'll push your game if you push mine.) It might be useful information if 10 (or more) different sites (that push the same content) posted their top 5 selling games. ;)

I do think a good game can sell itself via word of mouth. But even a turd can yield a few sales if the marketing is there. :)